PHOTOS: Medical marijuana businessmen testify about benefits
US-based medical marijuana businessman, Kevin Hoffman
Local government is being reminded of an unexplored avenue to healing the sick, and a new way to provide more jobs and funds for the economy — medical marijuana.
Kevin Hoffman, the owner of Full Circle Incorporated – a licensed marijuana cultivation, extraction and processing facility in Rhode Island, USA – said medical marijuana has earned him millions since his company’s inception three years ago.
Hoffman – who previously sailed BVI waters as a boat captain for three decades – said, as a medical marijuana businessman, he has witnessed the ‘miracles’ of the marijuana firsthand.
“I was amazed and I wouldn’t believe it had medical value unless I saw it with my own eyes,” he told BVI News in an exclusive interview at the inaugural marijuana festival on Jost Van Dyke on Saturday.
“I saw it over and over again with cancer patients, chemotherapy patients … It works miracles for hundreds of thousands of people,” he added.
Advice
However, Hoffman said despite marijuana’s benefits, legislators must exercise caution if marijuana is to be legalised or even decriminalised.
“Learn from other people’s mistakes. Get the regulatory and compliance — the way you roll out a programme like this is of utmost importance. If you make a mistake and do it wrong, you are going to have many negative consequences. So it has to be very well thought out, structured, regulatory and compliance framework,” he advised.
He said if the drug is going to be sold in the public domain, it needs to be ‘cleaned and tested’.
“We have seen some negative consequences in places that were not thoughtful in their roll-out. So that is the most important thing – you’re licensing of dispensaries, of cultivators, testing labs. Everything has to be structured. ”
He said: “If you just flip the switch and say it’s legal and everyone can grow it, everybody is going to be selling it in their backyard and selling it on the beach, and they won’t be able to monetize it — it’s a business.”
“It’s just like alcohol,” he explained.
“It’s a regulated business and you can create hundreds of jobs in the territory and millions and millions of dollars of revenue,” he reasoned.
Decriminalising marijuana a journey, not a battle
Michael Rego, a former narcotics detective, is now the Chief Executive Officer of Temescal Wellness located in Maryland, USA.
The company provides patients in New Hampshire, Massachusettes and Maryland with a variety of high-quality cannabis medicines and education.
“The journey has been quite a bit but it has been unbelievable,” he said.
“I’m here to tell you the days of fear and intimidation is over and if done correctly it (marijuana) will be a safe, life-changing medicine for many, many people.”
Some 30 states in the US have passed laws to establish comprehensive public marijuana medical programmes.
In the meantime, manager at Foxy’s Tamarind Bar Thomas Warner had also delivered remarks at the marijuana festival.
“One of the most important aspects of the decriminalization of marijuana is turning it into something that can be a benefit to the community — making a business out of it.”
He also urged authorities to consider legalizing marijuana in the correct way. He said the road to decriminalising the drug is ‘a journey and not a battle’.
He said, if legitimised, marijuana businesses can be taxed and the revenue can be pumped back into the local economy.
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whites getting rich and blacks getting jail off ganja
You are sooooo right. “whites getting rich and blacks getting jailed off ganja” and weed is a black ppl thing!
Have you ever been to The Poker Run? I don’t see allot of white boys driving those go fast boats. Where you think they get the money for boats and gas???
So black people could only make money selling Drugs?
You are one s__k puppy.
who shawonde angry with?
“herb is the healing of the nation”
See former feds are getting in on the cash cow – and coming soon: BVI Government Ministers and family/friends will be the ones cashing in on this ventrure!!
The powers that be want this lucrative industry for themselves! Cannabinoids are medically proven to aid in terminal and non-terminal diseases. Yet our ‘legislators’ have not done jack sh!t to move the agenda forward in any meaningful ways! I am one waiting in the wings so that I can apply for a cultivation and processing license with a view for retail and other avenues. While the fragile twin economies are sputtering why hasn’t this sustainably economical industry not given the serious thought it needs? No big money investors willing to pony up the Benjamin’s to these pirates? I hope not! No need for big pharmaceutical companies to flock here – we need a Master Argiculture/Horticulture plan and sadly there is not one person in the current ‘crop’ (pun intended) that have the wherewithal and gonads to take charge.
All political pandering just like the other promised and manifestos past have stated: FOI Act, Consumer Protection, Whitske Blower Protection, Public Management Law on and on….given the amount of devestated & or destroyed properties this viable industry would provide the needed revenues to get this territory moving forward! It (cannabis legislation) would be regulated, taxed and working in tandem with the tourism sector the revenues would also be there for Financial Sevices!
Think outside the box for once in yorbiung lifetime BVI!! Get with it or get left out and whining every minute!
Was there a doctor on the panel? I wonder if it is the medicine in the herb that has partner steering his eyes like a zombie.
Look what we coming to. Crime will increase when marijuana is legalized because some are going to be high and hungry. Government needs to focus on BVI cultivating food to feed its people instead of making money from marijuana. There are no labs in the BVI to process no medicine and this will only heighten what is happening currently (lots of young men on the corner smoking and not working.) Is Marijuana the only thing the BVI is willing to grow for export? Some will do anything for a little power
wonder if Mr Kevin Hoffman is willing to sell shares in his very profitable business?
Don’t allow imports. If you want to grow and sell a pound of weed you need to grow and sell 50 pounds of other produce.
The math actually works out nicely.
Some are already high and hungry. It’s no different now than it will be once it’s legalized.
I see —- already started growing Marijuana on — premises or at least turning a blind eye to it ! wink wink! – I’m sure — will say — is so shocked that its happening….LOL
BVI News, can you inquire about the statute’s symbolism from one of the organizers of the event? Very curious of its significance from an adept educational understanding in this case.
IM So glad to see foxy still gives absolutely zero f*cks about your old stupid laws. You know it is only illegal because of RACISM in the US? You in BVI keeping it illegal are playing into their hands. Read about some of the success stories like COLORADO. BTW: weed is NOT a black or white thing. It’s a plant. It’s a PEOPLE THING. stop trying to make lines between where there are none.